The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that ongoing investigations into the British Army’s Ajax armoured vehicle programme will directly shape decisions in the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan, which has been delayed in recent weeks as ministers await clarity on the troubled programme.
In a written statement to Parliament ahead of the Christmas recess, Defence Minister Luke Pollard said multiple safety investigations into Ajax remain ongoing following reports of noise and vibration injuries among service personnel, and that their findings will now feed directly into investment decisions.
“Findings from the investigations into Ajax will be closely aligned to decisions in the Defence Investment Plan,” Pollard said.
The statement provides the clearest indication yet that uncertainty around Ajax has contributed to the delayed publication of the Defence Investment Plan, as the government weighs future funding and capability choices linked to the Army’s Armoured Cavalry Programme. Pollard confirmed that Ajax use for training and exercising was paused on 26 November after around 30 soldiers reported symptoms during Exercise TITAN STORM. Those personnel had been operating across 23 vehicles, all of which have since undergone a 45-point inspection.
“The safety of our Service Personnel remains a top priority for me and the Ministry of Defence,” he said.
Of the 23 vehicles involved, 13 have undergone additional inspections focused specifically on potential causes of noise and vibration, with the remaining 10 still to be tested. Ministers are expected to receive the results of those inspections in the New Year.
Alongside the Army’s internal investigation, a Defence Accident Investigation Branch inquiry and a separate ministerial review are also underway. Pollard said the ministerial review is expected to report shortly, while work is progressing to establish an independent external expert group to add further scrutiny. Although Ajax training and exercising was halted immediately, Reliability Growth Trials continued at Bovington to gather baseline safety data. However, Pollard revealed that during trials on 12 December another soldier reported vibration symptoms.
“This additional report of an injury is a serious concern to me,” he said.
The soldier did not require hospital treatment and is receiving medical support, but the vehicle involved was immediately withdrawn. Pollard stressed that it was not one of the vehicles used during Exercise TITAN STORM, but part of the trials intended to establish comparative safety data.
In response, Pollard ordered a further escalation.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and to ensure the safety of our personnel, I have directed a pause on all Ajax trials,” he said.
The trials pause will remain in place while the individual’s symptoms are investigated and the vehicle undergoes further inspection. Pollard said he will decide in the New Year whether trials can resume. He acknowledged the wider implications of the programme for Army capability and defence planning, but said investigators must be allowed time to reach firm conclusions.
“The investigation teams are conducting their work thoroughly and at pace and they must be given the time and space required to ensure that all information and evidence is considered,” he said.
Pollard confirmed he met with General Dynamics last week and continues to hold regular discussions with the Chief of the General Staff, Army leadership and officials.
Reiterating the government’s position, he added: “It is unacceptable for the safety of our personnel to be at risk.”
Further updates to Parliament are expected once investigations conclude and decisions on the Defence Investment Plan are finalised.
Another reason to delay spending any money? Never saw that coming!
‘ … review is expected to report shortly, while work is progressing to establish an independent external expert group to add further scrutiny. ’Has there not been an independent external expert group already, has one been disbanded or has there never been one, if so considering the problems over many years in this programme has there not been one IF it’s now considered vital now. Yes it all seems like yet more ongoing total incompetence sprinkled with an opportunity to delay any spending further. Absolute, totally unforgivable madness. I mean if you didn’t need an independent assessment of whether the original correctional work was truly solving the problems (after all the stark bullet points certainly left me with doubts at the time) then when when would you need one. Or is all this gumph totally meaningless on any level and it’s just another bunch of headless chickens searching for unachievable solutions and spouting the first thing that comes into their missing heads.
Nothing but a convenient excuse.
The RN and RAF should not have to suffer due to the inability of ministers and Army officers to select an Armoured Vehicle.
Having already sabotaged themselves, it’ll be rich if the entire DIP is affected by a single vehicle and Rachel Reeves inability to provide finances.
I also trust that names will be named who accepted this vehicle from 2010 onwards and be tried accordingly? And who more recently assured Ministers it was safe?
My prediction….”lessons learned” or cobblers to that effect.
I do wonder if they will continue with the proportion of vehicles found unaffected?
Have they started production at scale yet or were they waiting for further acceptance results from these trials? If they have started scaled production would it be too naive of me to assume these latest concerns have stopped that continuing.
I believe hundreds have already been built, and many delivered.
Hopefully a pause and repair/alteration can take place with the remainder?
Haven’t they been doing this for years ? repairing and altering them due to the known and ongoing issues ?
You really wouldn’t run a Civil business like this.
I thought they’d introduced better headphones and cushioning.
Not a fix, an attempt at mitigation.
On the noise, what do I know, Armoured vehicles are loud. Our veteran posters here have made that quite clear often enough.
Oh, I seem to recall some sort of rectification works a few years back but have no Idea really.
As for noise, I sort of get that it can cause damage, being a Biker with Louder pipes and having the wind blast at high speeds around ones helmet !
TVR’s with race pipes are horrendous too. ☺️
As I have said so often this is the best any individual vehicle will ever be, as it ages as anyone with half a brain knows such problems will only deteriorate, which is why the original list of remedial actions never looked truly sufficient to me. I remember thinking ‘is that it’? Sticking plaster on a bullet wound to my eyes.
“ be tried accordingly?”
What criminal charges do you suggest?…
You’re right. Allow me to re phrase my erroneous words, face the music in a public enquiry?
Or another suggestion?
Be held to account ?
Misbehaviour in public office.
There must be some accountability. What measures that can be taken beyond the usual whitewash and it’s nobodies fault guv I’ll leave to legal professionals, as Spock said, I’m clearly wrong.
I’ve been expecting DIP mid-January. This sounds more like February or March.
Another Parliamentary statement this week said that there are four separate ongoing investigations into Ajax. So Feb/March is optimistic methinks. Unless someone is willing to agree the RAF and RN funding and tell the army to whistle.
Here we go, kick the can down the road for a few months, whilst we scramble to cobble together something/nothing. Can’t upset our welfare spending plans can we?
It’s beyond delusional, things as equally or even more vital are being delayed for this, in what way is that a viable solution whatever the answer to this platform, indeed I don’t think there will ever be an answer to it, it’s purely how bad the cost of non answers is going to be over time, which is pretty much asking how long is a piece of string in reality and asking if it gets longer or shorter if we leave it a few months.
So, let me get this straight.
The DIP is being delayed due to these 23 Vehicles ?
And there was me trhinking we were finalising a massive shopping list of essential war fighting equipment for the long warned of war in Europe.
Careful. I fear anyone who truly believes that is in for a bit of a shock.
Yup, as always I was being Sacastic ish !!!
Not a snowballs chance In hell we will be getting all the stuff outlined and agreed with in the list of reccomendations.
I smell rats. Political rats. Along with wanting to cancel local elections until 2027 now? It is an administration that is dead in the water. The pro war yap is all distraction. You cannot trust any politician to be honest, or put this countries interests first. I was asked the other week would I defend this country again if needed. My response was the two most descriptive Anglo Saxon words in my vocabulary.
Get what your saying but don’t forget your oath was to the king/Queen not politicians!
Jacko my oath ended when l left reserve service. I respect others may see it as a lifelong thing. However what country lets off terrorists Scot free and pursues veterans? Not the country l once served. And present soldiers? Future soldiers?
Your choice mate👍
Welfare just get bigger and bigger and bigger no room for Defence spending according to the Trasury
Well what else was this government going to prioritise.
They should just fence off from the MOD CAPEX budget the amount currently allocated for Ajax prior to the latest issues, and press ahead with publishing and purchasing for the other services. Whatever the eventual Ajax solution is will have to come out of that amount and whatever savings the Army can find elsewhere.
Fair shout 👌
Yes, seems logical and sensible, if we are to believe HMGs words on spending increases, war footings, society coming together, and all the rest.
I don’t.
Mate, its all snake oil.
Of course!
Sounds logical, and as much as I am a proponent of scrapping Ajax, whatever comes in it’s place is going to cost a lot of money. I don’t think you can simply fence it off.
If Ajax is scrapped GD will be fully liable surely, just fence the potential cost of cancellation now, then recoup it when proceedings allow
100% correct
The Government are just kicking the ball down the street We have no money the treasury say as Labour keep spending large on their priorities and pet projects
The Army / MOD have made a mess of AJAX and our priority should be Navy Air and UK aerial defence
Are we going to fight a land battle in Europe within 5 years
The Polish have reall stepped up and the Nordic nations
Germany at long last have seen the light …. I think
ThE EU and especially the French are freezing us out of joint defence spending fund so let them do it on the ground
wow just look at what the other eu countries have or are buying, and what have we ordered a big fat zero.well done starmer , the sooner you and your pathetic govt are gone the better.
Understandable as we may have buy some thing else to replace it. Does not excuse buying nothing since last year and just talking crap with wind bag statements. Germany and Poland have ordered kit and got some delivered while we had some meetings, excuse after excuse total lack of reality.
Europe must look at us and think who are theese clowns thier Army is a joke, yet they do nothing.
I blame Brexit 😁🤦♂️😂👀
It’s amazing how the Ajax debacle is being used as a convenient excuse to delay DIP. Starmer has ripped up DIP revision ?????
because of cost, some defence projects are for the chop.
The Prime Minister is in danger of falling foul of the Europeans and it is difficult to see how the GDP targets for defence will be achieved.
They were always UTTER PIE IN THE SKY.
I’m constantly amazed so many here still believe the crap this government comes out with.
On DIP delays “Due to Ajax” the NAD just days ago claimed it was a matter of days away.
So….who is telling lies?
On Ajax, how can one delay due to a vehicle which if not resolved might spend years in legal disputes.
Trump, who was credited to get NATO to raise spending, I wonder if he’s seeing what HMG are doing? I’d love it if he publicly calls them out on it.
Don’t rule out US intervention. There are several ways to skin a cat.
Maybe he has some “Beautiful Words” to add !!!
82nd Airbourne might do a drop on London and clean up a corrupt regime 🤣
The FT website is now carrying the “pause” initiated by Pollard, apparently he was on his hind legs in the Commons today, usual guff about “ abundance of caution” etc. I get the impression that the Government are warming the bell towards announcing a cancellation, although why this should lead to a delay in the DIP for just one programme, as many other posters have already said here, rather escapes me. And I suspect the GD’s lawyers are rubbing their hands and sharpening their pencils for a lucrative new year.
It’s nice to see someone on here who can see through the bull. John Healey is becoming more and more deluded every time I hear him speak. The Prime Minister I’m sure believes what comes out of his mouth.
What a cracking excuse. Ajax to the rescue. Well done Liebour.
What is the point of an SDR back in January if the funding that goes with it isn’t confirmed?
It’s just words, and not worth the paper it’s written on.
All it’s findings were accepted by HMG.
So….why the battles now, the funding should have been in place in the summer.
According to reports the RN, CSOC, DNE, have have all been settled, but not the Army or the RAF.
That means HMT had never guaranteed funding so the whole document, and this government, are utterly pointless.
On a more “Chill” note DM, I passed through your Devon places a couple of days ago, had a great trip around the whole area, managed to sleep rough up on Exmoor and the bus behave Impeccably up Countisbury and down Porlock hills. Currently heading back home Via the Cotswolds with a nice little stop near “Much Bonking in the woods” 6 wheeled life is so much fun.
It’s a shame former defence Secretary Ben Wallace made the wrong decision to carry on with Ajax when he was reviewing the project . BAE CV90 is the one to have but to late now 😟
Yet another excuse to not spend / invest in defence.
Cancel Ajax, get damages from the production company, use this to buy an excellent off-the-shelf capability.
Hardly a complex decision…..
If only it was that easy,what is your preference?please bare in mind that anything any good has a very long queue for delivery😉